Filing device



April 26, 1932 J. c. RINKER 1,855,870

FILING DEVICE Filed sept. 1e. 1927 Patented Apr. Z6, 1932 UNiTED STATES PATENT oFFicEi JACOB CHRISTOPHER EINKEE, E YOAK PARK, Tumors, AssIGNoE To WESTERN ELEC- TEIC COMPANY,v INCCEPCEATED, 0E NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION 0E NEW Yom; y

Y f FILING DEVICE Application filed September 16, 1927. Serial No. 219,886.

This invention relates to a filing device, and more particularly "to a device for filing cards in convenient units comprising a group of cardsin each unit.

s In filing cards individually in a drawerl it sometimes happens that the cards are not returned to their proper places or in their proper order after being referred to, with the result that it is difficult to locate the misplaced cardsl on the next occasion to refer to them.

It is an object ofthe presentinvention to provide a card or sheet filing device in which the possibility of misplacing cards or sheets in 'the file is eliminated, Without sacrificing l5 accessibility to the cards or sheets.` f

In accordance with the general features `of the invention the cards to be filed are arf ranged in a systematic order and placed in holders in which they are positively retained and each holder is so constructed that when it is opened at a'particular place the card at that place is fully and directly visible; A number of holdersmay be placed in a drawer provided with a plurality of lJ-shaped spacing members which keep the space allotted to a holder openthus permitting the holder to be readily, returned to its proper place.

It is believed that acomplete understanding of 'the invention mavbehad bv reference to the following description taken in conliunction with the accompanying drawings, in which i Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a filing cabinet with a drawer lextended to show the card holders in their filed position;y

.Fig. 2 is a plan view of a drawer showing the cardholders in place j y Fig. 3 is a fragmentary drawer; y, Y

Fig. 4; is a perspective viewof a iiexible lll-shaped spacer; f v

Fig. 5 is aside elevation of a holder; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the-holder side view of a A.showing the visibility of a card whenA the` 5 holder is opened;

Fig. 7 is an end view of a card holder show- Jing the holder open in the dotted-line posiion; `f Y Fig. 8 is a fragmentary and sectional detail view taken on line 8--8 ofFig. 5; l

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8showing the holder in the open position, and Fig. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of one of the connecting links.

Referring to the drawings in which the same reference characters designate similar parts in the several views, a filing cabinet 12 with a drawer 13 extended is shown containing a plurality of card holders 14a Between each pair of card holders a U-shaped spacing member 15 is provided including a pair of parallel resilient side members 16-416 which extend outside of the ends of a card-holder and yieldably engage the sides of the drawer to adjustably hold the spacer in place. lhen a holder 14 is removed from a drawer the spacing member maintains the place therefor open so that upon thel refiling of the cards contained in the holder the card holder may readily be replaced in the drawer and the possibilit'yof misplacing. the holder is eliminated. l

Each card holder comprises a pair of rigid cover members 17-17 pivotally attached to a pair of connecting links 18-18, each of which consists of a tubular member 19 and a notched pin 21 which is adapted to slidably fit into the tubular member 19. The tubular member 19 is equipped with a spring 22 which extends over the end of the tube and engages one of the notches in the pin 21. A slidable U-shaped member 23 is associated vwith the spring 22 and is of such a thickness that when it is moved to the free end of the spring'the end of the spring will be withdrawn from the notch in the pin 21 thus permitting the fr-ee adjustment of the length of the connecting link 18 to adjust the spacing between the cover members for holding various numbers of cards. An abutment mem- Cir ber having a sloping surface 26 is provided on each of the cover members 17 at the pivotal connections between the connecting links 18 and the cover members which limits the pivotal movement of the cover members allowing each cover member to open through a distance of as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, which is suiiicient to permit a direct view of any written matter contained on the cards filed in the holder. A second pair of connecting members 27-27 Vis provided, each of which comprises a tubular member 28 Vpivotally attached to one of the cover members, anda pin member 29 .pivotallyattached Vto the other'of the .Cover members. The Vpin member 29 is adapted to slidably fit in the tubular member 28 forming an extensible connection between the cover members. The links 27 are adapted to be inserted vin perforations of the cards to be filed in the holder and serve to retain .the-cards inthe holder; Acard lholder of this type may7 be placed upona ldeskfora `table in the position shown in Fig. 6 and any of the cards may Vbe turned into the `visible position without manipulating the holder, and after reference to 4the cards the 'holder may be readily replaced inthe drawerin the space'maintained by the spacer which assures thatthe cards will be refiled in the A proper systematic order.

It will be understood 'that the .embodiment of the invention herein described Vand illustrated is merely a convenient and useful form of the invention which is capable of many other modifications without departing from the-spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. In a card iiling device, a holder for a group of cards, a `container for the holder, :and a U-shaped spacer having sides embracing the holder, :and resi'lientlyfengag-ing the container'to permit adjustment of the spacer within'the container for allottingthe holder a space lin the container according 'to the thickness of the holder.

2. In a card filing device, a card holder comprising a pair of rigid cover members, a Lconnecting link for spacing the coverA members, .and an vextensible link pi-votaf'lly mount- .ed in the cover members `for retaining the vcards in the holder.

3.11.1 a card filing device, a card holder comprising a pair of rigid cover membersja :connecting link pivotally mounted in t-he cover members, and means for limiting lthe opening of the cover members.

4. In :a card .filing device, a card holder 'comprising a lpair of rigid cover members, a

Vconnecting link pivotally mounted in the cover members, means for preventing the opening of the cover members 'beyond a predetermined distance. and 'an extensible link pivotally'inounted kin the cover members to retain the cards in the holder.`

5. In a card filing device, a card `holder comprising a pair of cover members, a pin having a plurality of notches pivotally attached to one of the cover members, a tubular member for receiving the pin provided with a spring for engaging a notch in the pin pivotally attached to the other cover member, means for limiting the pivotal movement of the pin and the tubular member with respect to the cover members, and an eXtensible member attached to the cover members for retaining'the cards in the holder.

6. In a card filing device, a card holder comprising a pair of rigid cover members,

an yadjustable connecting link for spacing the cover members, .and means .on the respective cover members engageable with said link for preventing the opening of the cover members Ybeyond a predetermined distance.

7. In a kcard vfiling device, a card holder comprising a pair of cover member, a connecting link for spacing lthe cover members, meansfor providing a predetermined amount of rotation of the cover members upon the connecting link, a tubular memberpivotally attached to one of the cover members, a pin pivotally attached to the other cover member to slidably lit-into 4the tubular member, said tubular lmember and Ypin :forming a means for retaining the cards in the holder irrespective ofthe amount of vrotation of the cover members upon the connecting link.

8. In a card filing device, .a card holder comprising a pair of rigid cover members, a pin having a plurality of notches pivotally mounted in one of the cover members, a tubular member pivotally mounted 'in the other cover member for receiving kthe pin and provided with a spring for engaging a notch in the pin, and a member slidable on the spring and adapted to engage the tubular member for moving the spring out of engagement with the notch.

v9. In a card filing device, a card vholder comprising a plurality of Vrigid cover members, adjustable rigid spacing members attached adjacent the rearward edges of the cover members to accommodate the number of cards received, and means associated with the rigid spacing members for allowing `the cover members to swing open only a predetermined distance.

10. In a card fil-ing device, a container, an adjustable card holder adapted to swing open a predetermined amount and removable from the container, vand a .spacer disposed in the container for preservinga space therein for the card holder while the card rholder is removed. l

Vl-l. In a card iiling device, a container, a plurality of adjustable ca-rdlf holders each adapted to swing open a predetermined Vamount and removable from the container,

and a plurality of movable spacers disposed in the container for maintaining the spacing of the card holders when a card holder has been removed.

12. In a card ling device, a holder of variable thickness for a group of cards adagiaed to swing open a predetermined amount or making the cards visible, a container for the holder, and a spacer having end flaps which resiliently engage the sides of the container maintaining for the holder a space in the container according to the greatest thickness of the holder when the holder is removed from the container.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my naine this 31 day of August, A. D. 1927. y JACOB CHRISTOPHER RINKER. 

